Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-16
A DEATH OVER DICE.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON aAMBLIsG.aAxE
EppIHG WITH HoMIc1DE.
rnoch sposswood Shot and Instantly
Killed by Daniel Hall
The Inquest.

At about $50 Sunday afternoon
paniel T. Hall shot and killed Enoch
Spotswood.
The difficulty and death occurred on
the green sward of an open field near
where Thirteenth and Richards streets
would intersect if extended. II is in
the nciehborbood OF the grain-elevator
and between the Chesapeake and Ohio
Iailway-tiacks and Sbockoe creek.
On this spot, sheltered from observa-
ton from Seventeenth street by trains
of cars which usually line the side
tracks, but open to view from the hills
at the foot Of Tenth street, number OF
young colored men had gathered to have
game. They were all IN CIR
Gle and five-cent piece was the stake
when Hall and Spotswood began to
quarrel.
IN IMPARTIAL OBSERVER.
A little white boy, named Charles
| Meefs. who lives at 622 north Seven
| teenth street, was sitting on top OF q
| jreielt-car and looking down at the
game when he saw the deceased seize
the money, whereupon both he and
| Hall rose, and deceased called Hail
verv disgraceful name, and then and
there Hall drew his pistol, showed 1t into
SpOtswoods face, and fired.
Spotswood fell senseless. Hall made
| off over the hills, and most OF those
who were present at the shooting,
| shocked at the terrible occurrence, and
not really knowing why or wherefore,
ran away.
Spotswood lived ten minutes SODA
| by, but never uttered a word.
THE CORoNEI COMES.
4 crowd soon congregated, and when
the Coroner, having been notified by
| the police, reached the spot he found
hundreds Of whites and blacks there,
| and the general tenor of the remarks
| and run OF behavior WAS neither deco
| rous for such a scene nor for such
day.
Life being quite extinct the Coroner
| permitted the body to be removed to
the home Of deceased's mother, 4l9
north Fifteenth street.
The police of all the districts were
notified to look out for Hall and tele-
grams were sent 10y Chief Poe to va
/ rious localities to cause Halls appre-
| hension. Later an uncle of Hall visited
the First police station and promised
| that be would try TO get the boy. A
few minutes before II o'clock the two
! came into the station-house together
and Hall surrendered himself and the
pistol with which the shooting was
done.
Hall said that he did the shooting,
| but that it was an accident.
| AUTOPSY.
Coroner Taylor and his deputy, DR..
! Bosher, Yesterday morning made
| p0Sf-mOrfcm examination OF Spots
wood. They learned that the deceased
was about eighteen years of age, GIN
ger-hread color, height five feet two
inches well developed for his age,
being thirty-one inches around the
chest, and that his employment was
that of factory-hand.
The bullet they found entered at the
outer corner of the left eye, and with
out iniuring the eye passed through
| the brain, upwards and to the right,
and impinged against the back of the
| skull, making a marked indentatIon and
then rebounding, went to the right side
of the skull between the car and the
back of the head, and there lodged be-
tween the brain and bone. So it went
lengthways through the whole length
of the brain, and sideways through one
half Of it.
The proximity of the pistol to Spots
wood was shown by the powder-marks
in the deceased face.
The ball extracted weighed eighty
FIVE grains.
The autopsy having been completed,
a jury of inquest was ordered to be
summoned for 4 i. NJ.
THE ACCUSED.
Hall, who is the accused in this case,
is the son of carpenter who resides at
the southwest corner of Poplar and
Fifteenth streets. He is nineteen years
Of age and is barber by trade,
and works in q downtown shop.
and lived ut 1914 Leigh street.
lie is of the medium height, but is
tolerably stout. His color indicates
that he is more than onc-half white.
Dressed to go TO court yesterday morn
ing, he was conspicuous for the close
cropping of his hair, smoothness OF
face, and altitudinousness of his collar,
which. however, was turned down un-
der the chin. He wore a light neck
tie and dark blue coat. Altogether, he
appeared to be one who affected con-
siderable style, though he did not quite
rise to the dignity OF dude.
WORKING Up THE CASE.
The case has been very diligently
worked up by Sergeants Whitlock and
Mathews, of the First station. Nearly
all the witnesses needed. though they
had scattered to the four winds of the
city, were secured.
Chief-of- Police Poe himself visited
the two upper stations, and, with de-
scription of the fugitive, put the men
ON the alert. Hall, though he eluded
the officers for several hours, probably
could not have made good his escape
from the city, and he did the best thing
possible in surrendering himself.
IN THE PoLICE COURT.
Hall was before the Police Court yes
terday morning. Mr.. Allan appeared
as his counsel. Commonwealth IS Attor'
ney Witt, i'll view of the fact that the
most morteD had not been made ano
inquest held, moved postponement,
and accordingly the case was continued
until Saturday.
The following witnesses were recog
nized to appear for the Commonwealth
Charles Meeks, of CO north Seven
teenth street Abram Blair, 2ll2 Main
Charles Carter, No. 10 Concord George
Robbins, 1900 east Leigh Prossel
TAYLOR, Seventeenth and Jay @. How
ard, 52l north Thirteenth street Jerry
Thomas, Seventh between Broad and
Marshall Samuel Hall, 1917 easI
Leigh.
THE WEAPON.
TIE pistol with which the killing wa
done was exhibited in court. 1t is o
the Defender" pattern, S2-calibre